Pran Nath Neville

Sitting across Pran Nath Neville, in my parent’s drawing room, made me realize that he seemed so much at home; considering that our two countries are daggers drawn at the political front. But his seeming at home can also stem from the fact that he was and is a blue blooded Lahori to the core: Lahore being his birthplace and where he studied during his formative years. His ease of manner soon had us all engaged and we had a lively evening together: he reminiscing about his childhood memories and we asking questions about whatever came into our heads at that time.

Now I know you all must be wondering what Pran sahib was doing in our house? It so happens that he was my maternal grandfather's (Saeed Ahmad Khan) best friend in college (Government College, Lahore) and their friendship transcended the boundaries erected by partition. Pran Sahib, told us that he had always wanted to write a book about his memories of Lahore and whenever he visited Pakistan, he always bypassed Lahore and instead went to Karachi so that his memories of the city he remembered remained untainted for the time he could write a book on it. In the late 1980s he heard from somewhere that his friend my grandfather had died so this spurred him to write Lahore, A Sentimental Journey, which he dedicated to his late friend (nana). But as luck would have it was not my grandfather who had died but his younger brother. After the book got published Pran Sahab visited Lahore and asked an old friend that he wanted to meet Saeeds family; still thinking that his friend was no more. The mutual friend located nana and informed him that his old friend was coming to meet him in a few minutes. Pran Sahab couldn't contain his excitement and the friendship eventually culminated in an epic reunion. He presented nana with a copy of his book but not before tearing the dedication page. This episode has been immortalized in the recent edition of this book, published by Oxford University Press.

Pran Neville was born in Lahore and took his post graduate degree from Government College. He had a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service and the United Nations. During his tenure he was posted in Japan, Poland and Yugoslavia, former USSR and USA. He was also Director of the State Trading Corporation; and in-charge of 7 countries in East Europe. His last posting was Consul General of India in Chicago. He also did a six year tenure as Program Coordinator with UNCTAD in Geneva looking after East Europe. His Specialization has been in trade with Commonwealth Countries that include East Europe and former USSR. After retirement, he turned a freelance writer and specializes in the study of Indian art and culture.

His particular fascination with the performing arts inspired him to spend nearly seven years researching in the libraries and museums of England and the U.S.A. to enable him produce the sumptuously illustrated 'Nautch Girls of India' in 1996. Highly acclaimed by the media it was considered to be a pioneering work on the subject of dance and music as well as their practitioners through the centuries. Neville has written extensively for Indian newspapers and journals. He is the author of other well known books such as 'Lahore - A Sentimental Journey', 'Love Stories from the Raj', 'Rare Glimpses of the Raj', 'Beyond the Veil - Indian Women in the Raj', 'Stories from the Raj - Sahibs, Memsahibs and others', K.L. Saigal - Immortal singer and superstar and lastly 'Marvels of Indian Painting - Rise and Demise of Company School'.

He has been invited by several institutions in India and also universities in England and U.S.A. to speak on themes related to Indian art and culture. He has also acted as a consultant for two BBC documentaries on the Raj viz. 'Ruling Passions' and 'The Land of Kama sutra'. Pran Nevile is the

founder and convener of the 'KL Saigal Memorial Circle, which is dedicated to remembering Singers of yesteryears.

We had heard a lot about him from our grandfather and were in awe of his personality always secretly cherishing a desire to meet him one day. I remember our Lahori cousins bragging that they had met him in person before us. So it was a dream come true when suddenly out of the blue my younger sister got an email from his great-granddaughter-in-law that he was in Pakistan and he wanted to meet us. He had been invited by the Pakistan Academy of letters, to read a few papers in the Sufi conference held in Islamabad a few weeks ago. We were so excited and started preparing a feast for him: haleem, egg sandwiches, chicken bread forgetting his religious belief but thank god the dahi baras and samosas saved the day. But being the perfect gentleman he did not offend our sensibilities even once.

Being a learned person that he is it was so easy talking to him because he has that natural flair to put the other person at ease with his charm and affability. He talked about his childhood, his friendship with nana and how he missed his birthplace with so much feeling that it was hard to imagine that he was a visitor from across the border. It was a pleasure talking to him and it felt as if time had grown wings that day. He had missed his luncheon appointment to meet up with us but he could not miss his dinner engagement because it was with an old friend.

His personality exuded so much warmth and he was so happy to meet all of us because we were the offspring of his late friend that we felt overwhelmed by this once in a lifetime encounter. Promising to keep in touch by writing letters (because he likes the idea of snail mail rather than email) he left us with memories of a memorable evening spent together.

(Publication Date: September 2010

Publication Name: Life with World Call)

Saeed and Pran

A friend ship that was forged on the first day of college and lasted a lifetime, braving the trials and tribulations thrown its way by partition but stood the test of time are only words that describe the bond between Pran Nevile and Saeed Ahmed Khan. Pran Nevile the great Indian writer and S.A. Khan my late maternal grandfather met and became friends in Government College Lahore in 1937 and remained so until my nana died in Nov 2000. When they met in 1997 nearly fifty years after their last meeting it felt as if they had never been apart. Pran uncle mentions the details of his meeting in the revised edition of his book Lahore, A Sentimental Journey, published by Oxford Books accompanied by photos of his reunion. For those who will not be able to read the book here goes: Pran uncle had always wanted to write a book about his memories of Lahore and whenever he visited Pakistan, he always bypassed Lahore, instead went to Karachi so that his memories of the city he remembered remained untainted for the time he could write a book on it. In the late 1980s he heard from somewhere that his friend, my grandfather had died so this spurred him to write Lahore, A Sentimental Journey, which he dedicated to his late friend (nana). But as luck would have it was not my grandfather who had died but his younger brother. After the book got published Pran uncle visited Lahore and asked an old friend that he wanted to meet Saeeds family; still thinking that his friend was no more. The mutual friend located nana and informed him that his old friend was coming to meet him in a few minutes. Pran uncle couldn’t contain his excitement; the friendship eventually culminating in an epic reunion. He presented nana with a copy of his book but not before tearing the dedication page. This episode has been immortalized in the recent edition of this book, published by Oxford University Press.We had heard a lot about Pran uncle from nana when he used to come and stay with us in

Rawalpindi but never had the honor of meeting him. He was a respected writer and we just derived pleasure from the fact that he was nanas best friend.

On Saturday 14th of March my younger sister suddenly announced that Pran uncle is in Islamabad for the Sufi Conference arranged by Pakistan Academy of Letters and we are going to meet him at his hotel. Unfortunately I had university so I asked my sisters to invite him for dinner at our place. They met and invited him and he very kindly agreed to come over the next day by missing the afternoon session of the conference. It was a very happy evening that we enjoyed in his company because of his affable and charming personality. He exuded such warmth and love feeling overjoyed to be in the company of his late friends offspring talking of his past with fervor. Hearing him air his views on just about every topic under the sun made the evening a very entertaining one and how time flew.

Overjoyed that we were at his coming over we made a foolish faux pax that day: forgetting his religious belief we made haleem, egg sandwiches, chicken bread but thank god the dahi baras and samosas saved the day. But he being the perfect gentleman did not make this mistake obvious. The evening ended on a high note and we promised to keep in touch by the age old method of letters because he does not like the idea of email. He told us how he and nana exchanged letters until his death; letters he has saved till today. Remembering his friend he recalled how nana had planned a trip to Delhi with another friend but sadly death did not give him a chance.

One remark he made about Pakistani women being more liberated than their Indian counterparts quoting Asma Jahangir and Madeeha Gauhar (whom he holds in high regard) was very encouraging. Sitting across him I kept thinking that if the common people of these two countries can sit and converse with each other without drawing swords how come issues at the government level remain unresolved. The great divide created a wide chasm between families, friends and relatives which people try to cross whenever the borders and communication lines are opened. I have met many people in Pakistan who yearn to see the land of their birth which they had to leave because of partition and it is now part of India; just like Pran Neville who yearned for Lahore.

Reaching an agreement acceptable to both sides can take decades but at least the people on both sides of the LOC make efforts to keep the lines of communication open. Even after the death of his friend Pran uncle has tried to keep in touch with us and his birthplace; not categorizing us as Pakistanis (fingers crossed the enemies) but part of Saeed, his friend.

The question that arises now in spite of cross-border relationships between friends and families, is it a bridgeable divide--- when we are locked in battle on so many fronts?

(Publication Date: 16TH June 2010

Publication Name: The News)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=245237&Cat=14&dt=6/16/2010